The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing airplane and the most-produced aircraft in history. It is the classic training airplane, so the small, slow plane droning over your neighborhood at a few thousand feet is very often a 172.
Cessna 172 at a glance
- First flight
- 1955
- Length
- 27 ft 2 in (8.3 m)
- Wingspan
- 36 ft 1 in (11.0 m)
- Engines
- 1 × Lycoming O-320 or IO-360 piston engine (145–180 hp)
- Seats
- 4
- Cruise speed
- ~120 kt (138 mph)
- Service ceiling
- ~13,500–14,000 ft
- Range
- ~640 nmi
How to recognize the Cessna 172
The Cessna 172 is the airplane most people picture when they think of a small plane. It is a simple, sturdy design, and its shape has changed little in decades.
- High wing: the wing sits on top of the cabin and is held up by a single diagonal strut on each side.
- Fixed landing gear: tricycle gear that never retracts, usually with streamlined wheel fairings.
- Engine: a single piston engine in the nose driving a two-bladed propeller.
- Tail: a swept-back vertical fin and a conventional low horizontal tail.
- Windows: large side windows and a rear window behind the wing that wraps around the cabin on most models.
- Sound: a steady, buzzing drone that is louder overhead than its size suggests; it may circle for practice maneuvers.
- Speed and altitude: it looks slow, crossing the sky at about 100 to 120 kt, often between 1,500 and 8,000 ft.
The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is its main rival. The easiest test is wing position: the Cessna's wing is above the cabin, the Piper's below it. The Caravan has a similar high wing but is much larger, with a turbine engine.
Where and when you'll see it
Cessna 172s fly everywhere in the US, from flight schools, flying clubs and private owners at nearly every general aviation airport. Flight schools fly them most heavily in daylight, practicing takeoffs and landings at the local airport or maneuvers over open country. Police, Civil Air Patrol and aerial survey operators also use them.
Most fly at 1,500 to 8,000 ft. On ADS-B they usually broadcast their registration, the N-number, as the callsign, with type code C172 and a light emitter category. Many use 978 MHz UAT rather than 1090 MHz, so coverage depends on your receiver. A plane circling at a few thousand feet may be practicing; see why planes circle.
On weekends and clear evenings, flying clubs and private pilots take 172s on short sightseeing trips, so you may see more of them on sunny days.
Easily confused with
- Piper PA-28 Cherokee family: The Piper PA-28 has a low wing with no struts.
- Cessna 208 Caravan: The Caravan is much bigger, with a long turbine nose and often a belly cargo pod.
- Cirrus SR22: The Cirrus SR22 is low-winged with a sleek composite body and a three-blade prop.
Quick facts
- More than 44,000 Cessna 172s have been built, more than any other aircraft.
- In 1958 and 1959 two pilots kept a Cessna 172 aloft for nearly 65 days, refueling from a truck racing beneath it.
- The 172 has been in production, with breaks, since the 1950s.
Cessna 172 questions
Why do I see so many small planes circling near my house?
Flight schools practice turns, stalls and traffic patterns in designated areas, and the Cessna 172 is their most common training airplane.
How fast is a Cessna 172?
It cruises at about 120 kt (around 140 mph), far slower than an airliner.
Cities where it's a regular
Phoenix · Riverside · Portland · Milwaukee · Hartford · Anchorage
Spot one live
Open the live sky tool and look for C172 in the type column, or browse the live map on airplanes.live.